Cyprus Mangal

Cyprus Mangal
Warwick Way
8 January 2010
£40
A fellow Pimlico villager tells us this is her fave restaurant. This is a very trendy chick so to hear is to obey. Go past the take-away joint and you’re into a cosy little dining room. The menu had echoes of our foodie adventures in Istanbul so Herbie enjoyed the lentil soup and gorgeous aubergine dish called Imam Balidi – the lamb met the exacting standards of Meaty and he also enjoyed revisiting Turkish beer. There are lovely complimentary flatbreads. On a return visit we shared warm mezzes which also get rave reviews. The service is very prompt and this place gets quite busy. Going downstairs can be a bit like Siberia but with food like this, who cares?
HP

Downstairs like Siberia? I have been to Siberia and its nothing like. We got there when the upstairs was full so we were the first to go down stairs. Hence it was a bit quiet when we sat down but the table of 12 made up for it. Charcoal grilled lamb chops are the thing to have. In fact, order two portions, go light or even skip the veggies. The mezzes plates are really fun to share and you inevitably have something on the plate you would not normally try. Now that’s a meal worth going to Pimlico for. On the beer front I had Efes. I had it in Istanbul and I had it in London. It’s not my favourite, having an odd mix of hops and malt. Next time I will go back to having wine. MP